Paper Clips
Miramax Films | Release Date: November 24, 2004 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
64
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 20 Critic Reviews
Positive:
13
Mixed:
7
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
San Francisco ChronicleJonathan Curiel
A larger-than-life resonance. Read full review
83
Portland OregonianShawn Levy
Such a powerful sincerity and goodness flows through Paper Clips. Read full review
80
Dallas ObserverJean Oppenheimer
Emotionally powerful. Read full review
78
Austin ChronicleMarc Savlov
The filmmakers wisely stay in the background and allow the people of Whitwell to tell their own story, although this simple, honest little film is occasionally marred by an emotionally manipulative music score straight out of Heartstring Tuggers 101. Read full review
75
Miami HeraldConnie Ogle
It's a small, heartening slice of life that feels like a crucial step toward something bigger. Read full review
75
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
It is straightforward, heartfelt and genuine. Read full review
75
Seattle Post-IntelligencerBill White
Where other documentarians look for a charismatic personality to enliven their films, Berlin and Fab focus on the community as a whole. Read full review
75
Baltimore SunChris Kaltenbach
The best moments in Paper Clips - and there are plenty - come when it doesn't resort to mundane cliches or calculated emotions to make its point. Read full review
75
Charlotte ObserverLawrence Toppman
Heartfelt, if rather repetitive, documentary. Read full review
70
VarietyRobert Koehler
Patiently told and lovingly made. Read full review
70
TV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonagh
Rough around the edges but rock-solid in its sense of place and its depiction of real people overreaching their apparent limitations. Read full review
63
Boston GlobeJanice Page
Inspirational. Read full review
63
Philadelphia InquirerCarrie Rickey
Touching and inspiring. Read full review
60
Los Angeles TimesKevin Thomas
Paper Clips arrives with an authentically persuasive message of hope. Read full review
60
L.A. WeeklyElla Taylor
There is something quite heartening about watching these kids earnestly guide others around their memorial. Read full review
60
Chicago ReaderJonathan Rosenbaum
It's a story worth telling, though once the participants and the filmmakers start basking in their virtue, the material begins to feel overextended. Read full review
60
EmpireDavid Hughes
Brings a lump to the throat without resorting to emotional manipulation. Deserves an A for effort. Read full review
50
The New York TimesDana Stevens
Inspiring, but also, as a film, a little tedious, without enough narrative or exploration to justify its feature length. Read full review
50
The A.V. ClubScott Tobias
The story they get may be heartfelt and inspiring, but all that powerful sentiment doesn't make it any more complete. Read full review
50
Chicago TribuneAllison Benedikt
There's something both moving and crass in how directors Elliot Berlin and Joe Fab film these tiny paper fasteners. Read full review
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